Transmission electron microscopy study of 3.2 YSZ single crystals manufactured by the skull melting method

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses were performed to examine the spontaneously ordered structure in single crystals of 3.2 mole% of Y2O3 added ZrO2 (3.2 YSZ) manufactured by the Skull melting method. The selected area electron diffraction patterns showed several super-structure reflections with symmetrical intensity at (100), (010), and (110) positions, indicating that Y0.5Zr0.5O(2-x) with L1(0)-like cation-ordered structure was formed in 3.2 YSZ. High-resolution TEM has been used to reveal the presence of the partially ordered structure, which was characterized by a doublet periodicity in the contrast of the {100} lattice planes.